FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for setting the date in an electronically controlled postage meter with a mechanical print mechanism or a nonmechanical printer.
Dates as set by hand in prior art postage meters, by using a simple tool. For instance, the individual type wheels of the date mechanism are rotated using a pencil or the like; alternatively, special knurled setting devices or key-controlled levers are provided. Using an additional tool requires precautions to prevent its being lost, and a knurled setting device or a lever requires additional mechanical means to secure against unintentional setting. Due to the fact that the type wheels are disposed inside the postage meter, further additional security precautions are necessary that prevent the machine from being operated during the date setting procedure.
The numbers on the type wheels are also relatively small and relatively difficult to make out as printed type, so that misadjustments occur frequently.
Mechanical date setting is therefore unreliable, and it is mechanically complicated and economically expensive.
It has become known, heretofore, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,458 (German DE-OS 31 11 949), to actuate additional type wheels by means of stepping motors and specifically embodied racks. The stepping motors are controlled from a keyboard, and the setting of the racks is monitored by an electronic logic, such as a microprocessor in conjunction with registers, memories and sensors, as can be learned for instance from German patent No. 31 11 953 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,441 (German DE-OS 29 16 811).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,489 to Denzin teaches a method for date setting for electronically controlled postage meters which does not require the above-mentioned additional mechanical securing means and which thus does not have the disadvantages discussed above. The method for setting the type wheels of the date print mechanism in electronically controlled postage meters that have stepping motors and means moved thereby to adjust the type wheels to print the postage values and optional imprint cylinders is tailored only to a mechanical print mechanism, however.